


All We Do Is Hide Away

by NinjaGrapeTurtle



Series: All We Do [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood Sexual Abuse, F/M, Gen, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Happy, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Protective Pepper Potts, Protective Tony Stark, Traumatized Peter Parker, Trigger Warnings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-07 15:16:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18875788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NinjaGrapeTurtle/pseuds/NinjaGrapeTurtle
Summary: Peter would have been perfectly content to just let the past remain hidden and not deal with it at all. He was fine after all. Really! He was fine! May still worried about him from time to time but she was so busy with work that she didn't press him as much about nightmares or having him go to therapy. And it's not like Peter wanted the other adults in his life to know what had happened when he was seven. They would overreact and he didn't need that. Because he was fine. Until he wasn't.orPeter has a panic during movie night while watching a particularly heavy scene and with that, secrets and memories that he'd worked hard to repress and keep hidden come pouring out. Oh, and the Iron Family is none too happy about it.





	All We Do Is Hide Away

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this story is heavy with references to past sexual abuse. If this bothers/triggers you in any way, do not read this!

Peter bounced up and down excitedly as school finally ended for the day. The fifteen-year-old had been waiting for this weekend for weeks now and it couldn't have come soon enough. His school had a three day weekend and Tony had suggested that the kid come up to the compound for the weekend to work on suit ideas. It had taken a minute to get Aunt May to agree but she had finally relented agreeing that the more that Peter worked on his suit with Tony, the better prepared he'd be in any situation meaning he'd be safer.

 

Aunt May had now known that Peter was Spider-Man for about three and a half months now and things had been... interesting so to speak. There had been a lot of crying, on both her and Peter's parts, and May had demanded to talk to Happy and Tony wanting to know what they were thinking in keeping her in the dark. After a few days, however, and a lot of reassurances and comforting from Pepper, May had accepted that Spider-Man was now a part of Peter's life. She wasn't thrilled about it at first but she slowly warmed up to the idea. She was even proud of him and the man he was becoming.

 

Peter had also become a lot closer with Tony, going to see him most days after school or on the weekends. Tony had become more adamant than ever to be the mentor that Peter needed and deserved. They would do everything together from working on suits and new tech to eating junk food and having movie nights. He even got to know Pepper and Rhodey really well and he loved them. The two also adored the young boy and often looked forward to when he would visit Tony. And now Peter was going to spend a whole three days with them!

 

Peter smiled at Happy as he saw the man waiting for him out front. He ran up to the car and got inside, eager to get to the compound.

 

"Hey, Happy!"

 

"Hey, kid. Ready for this weekend?" Happy asked as he pulled away from the curb.

 

"So excited!" Peter replied back as he buckled up. He then proceeded to tell Happy everything that he and Tony were working on for that weekend.

 

Happy listened contently as he made the drive upstate. Ever since the Vulture incident, Happy had become more watchful and protective over the kid in his care. He listened to him more and eagerly took him to the compound every chance he got. Even when that meant he got thirty to sixty minutes of the kid talking his ear off. It was worth it.

 

The drive was relatively uneventful and they made it to the compound in record time. As he exited the car, Peter thanked Happy for the ride.

 

"Thank you, Happy for picking me up!"

 

The driver just smiled at the kid as he pressed the button of the elevator that led straight to Tony Stark's personal floor in the Avenger's compound.

 

"Hello, Peter," F.R.I.D.A.Y. greeted the teen.

 

"Hey, Fri," Peter replied. "Where's Mr. Stark?"

 

"Boss is in the kitchen currently," The AI said. "I have let him know that you are here."

 

Peter smiled. "Thank you, Fri."

 

Peter ran out of the elevator and to his own room at the compound, dropping his stuff off before he made his way to the kitchen.

 

"Hey, Mr. Stark!" Peter greeted as he skidded to a halt.

 

Tony looked up and smiled at the kid as he ran into the kitchen. "Hey, kiddo. How was school?" He asked as he checked the oven for the chicken fingers and wings he was making for a snack for them.

 

"School was great! Ned and I finished our robotics project today! We took yours and Rhodey's advice and added those enhancements. And the teacher was so impressed he gave us the highest marks he's ever given anyone. Here! I took pictures!"

 

Tony chuckled as the kid rambled. He loved hearing all about the kid's schooling and his life. It was refreshing after all the boring business meetings and obligatory parties. All of that, his presence in those meetings and parties, that wasn't him. Not the real him anyway. Being around this kid, however, brought out a side of him that he hadn't seen in a long time. A side that he had missed. A side that only those closest to the billionaire got to see. And that list was very short. Pepper, Rhodey Happy and now Peter.

 

"Show me those pictures, kid," Tony demanded as he walked over to where Peter was standing.

 

They spent the next five minutes scrolling through Peter's photo album and talking excitedly about Peter's grade before the timer to the oven went off.

 

"I hope you're hungry, kid," Tony teased knowing that, with Peter's enhanced metabolism, he was always hungry.

 

Tony laughed when all he got in response was Peter's growling stomach. Peter blushed at that and turned away. He ended up laughing too after a minute.

 

"I'm starving actually."

 

"Well the snacks are ready," Tony said as he sat two very full plates on the island and went to the fridge to get condiments. "Dig in, kid."

 

Peter smiled up at the man before he set about eating.

 

"And, hey, I was thinking that we should celebrate your robotics grade by ordering Chinese tonight. How does that sound, kiddo?"

 

Peter's eyes widened and he nodded enthusiastically. It was no secret to Tony that the kid loved Chinese food and wanted to get it every time it was his turn to pick the food.

 

"Can we, Mr. Stark?"

 

Tony chuckled at that and ruffled the kid's hair. "Of course we can. I'll get F.R.I.D.A.Y. to order it in a couple of hours. Now hurry up and finish, we have some suit modifications to see to."

 

Thirty minutes later found Tony and Peter down in Tony's lab, blasting ACDC and working on their suits. They went over some new features that Tony had wanted to add to Peter's suit and Peter sat and listened to Tony as the man talked about some things that could make the Iron Man armor even better. Peter especially loved the bleeding armor idea. His widened in wonder as he saw the nanotech that Tony had only just begun to work with.

 

"Mr. Stark this is so cool! Hey, maybe we can add this to the Spider-Man suit as well. It'd be a lot easier to have this ready then to have to find an alley to change in every day."

 

Tony nodded in agreement and made a mental note to get right on that. They were deep in conversation about Peter's web fluids and some of the new ideas he had when Rhodey walked in.

 

"Hey, guys, what's going on?"

 

"Hey Rhodey," Peter greeted happily.

 

The man smiled at him and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Hey, kid. Keeping Tony in line?"

 

"Always," Peter replied, laughing.

 

"Hey now, I don't need anyone to keep me in line," Tony replied in mock offense. "I am perfectly capable of handling myself in everyday life thank you very much."

 

Rhodey only rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah sure you are, Tones. What about that time in Madrid when y-"

 

"Not in front of the kid!" Tony protested as he quickly put his hands over Peter's ears. "Not in front of him, he's innocent!"

 

Peter playfully batted away Tony's hands as he laughed at the two best friends. "So what did happen in Madrid?" He asked.

 

Thankfully for Tony, he was saved by Pepper coming in to tell them that the food was there. Tony thanked her and said they would be up in a minute.

 

The three made their way up to the huge theatre room. The food was already all set out across the table and they hungrily dug in. Pepper smiled at them as she set up the movie they were going to watch.

 

"What are we watching tonight, hon?" Tony asked as she came to sit by him curling into his side.

 

"It's called 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'. It's based on a book that I read. I've been wanting to see it for a while now and I think you guys will enjoy it too."

 

"Oh yeah!" Peter said as he sat down on the huge recliner next to the couch. "I've heard of this movie. My friend Cindy from decathlon said it was really good and that we should watch it."

 

"Well then let's start the movie and see how good it really is," Tony told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to start the movie and the four of them settled in to watch.

 

Peter liked the movie. He really did. It was humorous and the characters were likable. Though there seemed to be something going on with the main character, Charlie. Peter couldn't quite figure it out but he felt uneasy.

 

It became incredibly clear however about an hour later, towards the end of the movie. Charlie was apparently sexually abused by his aunt before she died in a car crash. Peter felt uncomfortable and he began to squirm around on the chair. The air felt hot and tight around him and he found himself struggling to breathe. His mouth was dry and all his limbs felt numb. He couldn't move. Just like back then.

 

It was just one scene. Just one little scene in some indie movie. It should not be affecting him like this. But it was. Peter felt like he might throw up. He had to get out of this room, but he couldn't move. He couldn't move and now memories he had tried to repress long ago were starting to surface.

 

" _Hey, little Peter Pan._ "

 

_No_.

 

" _How about we play a little game..._ "

_No. No, no, no, no_.

 

And, suddenly, Peter was back in the old house that he, May, and Ben used to live in. There was no one around except _him_. Skip.

 

" _Hey, little Petey. How about we play a game_?"

 

No. Peter froze. He didn't want to. He knew what was coming but he was frozen in terror. And hands were all over him, taking and stealing everything from the boy. Hands were touching what they should not have been touching.

 

" _Stop," Peter cried out. "Please stop. I don't want to do this. Please stop." Peter was thrashing around, trying to get away from the older boy._

 

_" **Peter?**_ "

 

Peter looked around. He was all alone now. Skip was nowhere in sight. Peter looked around trying to see who was talking. He wasn't sure where the voice was coming from. It sounded so far away like he was underwater and the owner of the voice was above it.

 

" _ **-ter? Peter, I need you to breathe for me, kid.**_ "

 

Peter heard the voice calling again and he swore that he recognized it but, right now, he couldn't bring himself to focus. Breathe? The voice was telling him to breathe right? But he couldn't. He could not physically will himself to take in the much-needed air.

 

"C-can't... breathe..." Peter whimpered.

 

"Yes, yes you can."

 

Someone, probably the owner of the voice, took Peter's hand and placed it over something. Something warm. Someone's chest maybe. He felt a light drumming beneath his fingers. A heartbeat.

 

"You're OK, kid. I promise you that you're safe but I need you to breathe."

 

Tony? It was. The voice belonged to Tony. Peter took in a deep breath and focused on Tony's heartbeat. Seconds passed and then minutes. Sloy but surely, little by little, Peter felt himself regain control of his breathing. His vision cleared and he saw Tony kneeling in front of him, a worried look on his face. Pepper and Rhodey stood off to the side looking equally as worried.

 

"Kid?" Tony asked hesitantly, not sure what to do and afraid to set off another panic attack.

 

Peter broke at that, however. In that moment, he didn't care who was watching. He broke and he fell right into Tony's arms. Peter cried because all the memories and pain that he had worked so hard to forget and repress had come back.

 

Tony was shocked at first when Peter flung himself at him but he quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around the kid tightly. "It's OK, Underoos. I've got you. I've got you, Kid. You're safe. I don't know who hurt you but they can't hurt you anymore."

 

It was close to thirty minutes later before Peter finally calmed down. Everything that had happened in the past hour seemed to catch up to him and his face flushed in embarrassment. He pulled away from Tony, avoiding eye contact.

 

"I'm s-sorry, Mr. Stark." Peter stood up, wringing his hands nervously. "I di-didn't mean to freak out. I didn't mean to... ruin... movie night."

 

Tony stood up slowly and looked at his protege, bewildered. "Pete... you didn't ruin anything." He placed a hand on the kid's shoulder but yanked it back when he flinched at the contact.

 

"B-but I did. I... I'm so sorry..." Tears began to fill Peter's eyes again.

 

"Peter, just take a seat and try to breathe," Tony said as he gently reached out for the kid again. This time, Peter didn't flinch. Tony sat down next to him.

 

At that moment, Pepper came out of the kitchen with a glass of water. She handed it to Peter her other hand coming up to smooth back his curls. "You did nothing wrong, sweetheart," she said in a motherly tone. "And we're here for you to talk to if you ever need." With that, she walked up to Rhodey and led him out of the room, knowing that if there were any chance of Peter opening up, it would be more likely without a crowded room.

 

Peter stared after them for a few minutes before he turned back to the glass of water in his hands. He didn't know what to do now. He had just lost it and had the most embarrassing panic attack in front of his hero. His mentor. How could he ever expect to show his face in front of Tony ever again?

 

"I know what you must be thinking," Tony sighed. "But stop it right now. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Nothing. You had a panic attack and, while it's not a completely normal occurrence, is OK. And even though I really want to know what happened and who sparked this so I can pay them a little visit, just know that I am not here to push you." He looked up at Peter and gave him a small smile. "And Pep is right by the way. You can tell any of us anything. No matter what. Look I just... the main thing I want you to know is that it isn't good to keep these things bottled up. I speak from experience. Just... please, please come to me if you need anything."

 

Peter just kept staring at his water in silence. He wasn't sure if he should tell Tony Stark his darkest secret. It's not like he didn't trust him. He did. He trusted Mr. Stark with his life. But... this went beyond trust. The teenager had spent eight years trying to suppress what had happened to him. To be honest, Peter would have been perfectly content to just let the past remain hidden and not deal with it at all. He was fine after all. Really! He was fine! May still worried about him from time to time of course but she was so busy with work that she didn't press him as much about nightmares or having him go to therapy. And it's not like Peter wanted the other adults in his life to know what had happened when he was seven. They would overreact and he didn't need that. Because he was fine. Except this episode had proved that that was so far from the truth. Peter looked up at Tony and saw nothing but understanding in his eyes. Peter took a deep breath.

 

"His name is Skip," Peter croaked out. "Skip Westcott."

 

Tony grabbed a hold of one of Peter's hands and squeezed it gently, urging him to go on.

 

Peter rubbed a hand against his eyes, trying to rid himself of the tears that were still falling. "He was my babysitter when I was seven and..." Peter's breath hitched again. "He... was great. For awhile. Then...," The teenager squeezed his eyes shut. "Then he started wanting to play games..." He whispered.

 

Tony felt himself tense at that. Based on Peter's words during his panic attack, he was fairly certain he knew where this was going. God, he hoped he was wrong. He had never wanted to be wrong more in his life.

 

"He st-started by showing me adult magazines... and then he wanted to recreate what they were doing..." Peter gave a tiny sob. "I d-didn't want too, but he was so much bigger and he held me down."

 

Tony hesitantly wrapped an arm around the kid's shoulders but he pulled him closer when he felt Peter lean into him. Tony felt anger in that moment. Anger and an intense need to protect the kid in his arms at all costs.

 

"He wouldn't stop," Peter cried as he turned his head into his mentor's shoulder. "I be-begged him to stop and he wouldn't. He said no one would believe me. He r-.... he rap..." Peter couldn't get it out. He started hyperventilating again for the second time that evening.

 

Tony turned in his seat so he was facing Peter and he pulled the kid flush against his chest, arms wrapping tightly and protectively around him. "Breathe with me, Pete. Just breathe."

 

Peter clutched Tony's shirt and tried breathing like his mentor said to do. He hiccuped and sobbed into the billionaire's chest.

 

"Shhhh... it's OK. You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore," Tony said as he carded a hand through Peter's soft curls. 'I won't let him,' Tony thought to himself. After a while, Peter's sobs subsided but he didn't let go of Tony, which the man wasn't complaining about.

 

"May and Ben found out what he was doing a couple of months later..."

 

Tony internally winced at that. Two months? This kid, his kid, had gone through hell for two months? His heart ached for him.

 

"They walked in on him..." Peter shuddered, pressing himself closer to Tony. "They had him arrested but..."

 

Tony didn't like the sound of that.

 

"But his father got him out of all the charges... they're really rich and they said that I was ruining his reputation and childhood. They said I was ruining any chance he had at college."

 

Tony felt the anger reignite within him. Peter was ruining this asshole's childhood? What about Peter's childhood? What about Peter in general? How could anyone think that Peter's life and happiness were worth less than that of his abuser's?

 

"So he's still out there?" Tony asked, trying to keep his anger reeled in for the sake of Peter.

 

Peter pulled away and shook his head. "No. He got caught for armed robbery and he shot a cop..." Peter just looked miserable at this point.

 

Tony cursed under his breath at this information. "So he was put away for shooting a cop but not for hurting you? What kind of bullshit is that?"

 

"May and Ben said the same thing. They were so mad that they took their entire life savings to pay for a lawyer so they could file a civil suit against the city for letting Skip get away but Skip's dad had lawyers that counteracted their lawsuit with one of his own and they lost. It's my fault that we've been broke ever since." Peter whispered that last part but Tony still heard him.

 

"No, Peter." Tony placed a warm but firm hand on Peter's shoulder. "I want you to listen to me and I want you to listen closely."

 

Peter looked up at Tony, his Bambi brown eyes full of hurt and also red from crying for so long. Tony's heart broke at the sight but he pressed on.

 

"None of what happened was in any way your fault. Nothing. That creep hurt you and he should not have gotten away with it. Cops are meant to protect and lawyers and juries are meant to bring justice to those who break the law but they let you down. Not the other way around. And May and Ben did what they did because they loved you so fiercely, they wanted to make sure you got the justice you deserved."

 

Tony pulled the fifteen-year-old into another hug and held him. "You've been let down so many times and I am so sorry about that but I promise you: no more. I will not let that happen anymore. That bastard won't touch you or come anywhere near you and I will go after his family if I have to."

 

Tony looked up to where he saw Pepper and Rhodey standing in the entryway of the kitchen. They both looked murderous. He made eye contact with Pepper and she nodded understanding what he was implying.

 

Peter shook his head. "Mr. Stark... you don't have to... he's still in jail and his dad hasn't bothered us since Skip was sent to jail..."

 

Tony sighed and held on tighter to the kid. "That doesn't make this right..." he muttered. Tony just continued to hold Peter for a while though until he felt him sag against him.

 

Tony smiled sadly down at the kid who looked so small in his arms. This kid who had the biggest heart he had ever known. The kid who would put anyone and everyone above himself to make sure they were safe and happy. Life wasn't fair by any means. Not by a long shot. But damn it, why was it this unfair? Peter didn't deserve any of this.

 

Tony gently shifted Peter around until he had one arm under his knees and the other around his back. He lifted him up and shook his head. This wasn't the first time that Tony had carried the kid to his room or the couch in the lab, but it always surprised him how light the teenager was. Especially considering how much he ate.

 

Tony looked at Pepper and Rhodey as he walked past them. "I'm going to put him to bed and then I am going to find out everything on this bastard that I possibly can. I want to know how long his sentence is and I want him added to every sexual predator list out there. I don't care how long it takes or what has to be done to do it but I will not let my kid be hurt again."

 

Pepper and Rhodey only glanced at each other and then back at Tony, nodding.

 

"We get it, Tones. And I swear to you: he will never hurt Peter again. You take care of the kid. Pepper and I will take care of everything else."

 

Tony sent them a thankful glance before he continued down the hallway to Peter's room. "I swear to you kid: your safe and you always will be as long as I'm around."

 

Tony gently laid the sleeping teen down and pulled up the covers to his chin. He ran his hand through Peter's hair a couple more times before he leaned down and placed a kiss on Peter's forehead.

 

"I promise."

**Author's Note:**

> There is the first story in this series! I hope you all liked it! The second story will probably be up next week! Go read my other stories or come talk to me on Tumblr @ iamiironman.tumblr.com!


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